(4) YA Essential Lives series. Thorough and detailed, though dry, this biography tells the story of Jobs's life and the company and products he created. Although it acknowledges Jobs's genius, the narrative also includes his failures, his problems with Apple's management, and his often prickly personality. Jobs's marriage and health issues are not covered in-depth. Color photos are included in the unattractive layout. Reading list. Timeline. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Essential Lives series. These series entries, with straightforward writing and frequent sidebars and photos, are uneven in quality and interest level. Elizabeth I is particularly dry and requires background knowledge. Lucille Ball's colorful personality barely comes through in her volume (the pictures help), and the subtitle for Freud is odd (content is fine). Assange is current through 2011. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Sigmund Freud, Lucille Ball, Julian Assange, and Elizabeth I.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Essential Lives series. Nicely laid-out and easy to read, these informative, if bland, biographies provide historical context as well as personal information about their subjects. Many sidebars, pull-quotes, and photographs enhance the presentation. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Rachel Carson, Frederick Douglass, Cesar Chavez, and Henry Ford.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Essential Lives series. This series offers serviceable if bland biographies of people famous in a variety of arenas. The writing is straightforward, and frequent sidebars help with historical context. Some photographs and archival materials also break up the pages. The volume on the one contemporary subject in this group (Jobs) is less assured than the others. There are six other new books in this series. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Steve Jobs, Eleanor Roosevelt, Lucretia Mott, and Zora Neale Hurston.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Essential Viewpoints series. This series offers readers a generally well-balanced discussion of the featured topic. The history, laws and reforms, significant events, and divergent perspectives are clearly, if dryly, presented. Providing no solutions, these titles give readers facts needed to make informed decisions of their own. Primary-source reproductions, photographs, and encroaching sidebars make pages crowded. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Viewpoints titles: Affirmative Action and Civil Liberties.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale